Footwear Products Including Data Transmission Capabilities

ABSTRACT

Footwear systems include an article of footwear and a data transmission system engaged with the article of footwear. The transmission system transmits data to a remote system, such as a display system, another data transmission system, a processing system, etc. Such footwear systems further may include activation systems for activating the transmission and/or display systems. The transmitted data may be used for various purposes, such as: (a) identifying a user of the article of footwear; (b) activating targeted advertising or product information; (c) confirming the user&#39;s presence at a specific location and/or at a specific time; (d) determining start, finish, and/or intermediate split times for specific user; (e) confirming athletic equipment usage; (f) providing data for a game or reward program; (g) registering the user for an event or competition; or the like.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/407,353 filed Apr. 20, 2006 and entitled “Footwear Products IncludingData Transmission Capabilities.” This parent application is entirelyincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to articles of footwear that includedata transmission capabilities, e.g., to enable communications andinteractions with remote devices. At least some further aspects of thisinvention relate to activation systems to activate and/or otherwisecontrol the data transmission process.

BACKGROUND

Conventional articles of footwear have included two primary elements,namely an upper member and a sole structure. The upper member provides acovering for the foot that receives and positions the foot with respectto the sole structure. The upper member may be made from a wide varietyof materials, including, for example, leather, canvas, rubber (naturalor synthetic), polymeric materials, fabric, and the like. In addition,the upper member may have a configuration that protects the foot andprovides ventilation, thereby cooling the foot and removingperspiration. The sole structure generally is secured to a lower portionof the upper member and generally is positioned between the foot and thecontact surface (the terms “contact surface” or “surface,” as usedherein, include any foot or footwear contact surface, including but notlimited to: grass, dirt, snow, ice, tile, flooring, carpeting, syntheticgrass, asphalt, cement, concrete, clay, court surfaces, and the like).In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces, the sole structuremay provide traction and help control foot motion, such as pronation.Accordingly, the upper member and the sole structure operatecooperatively to provide a comfortable structure that is suited for avariety of ambulatory activities, such as walking and running.

The sole member of athletic footwear, in at least some instances, willexhibit a layered configuration that includes a comfort-enhancinginsole, a resilient midsole (e.g., formed, at least in part, from apolymer foam material), and a ground-contacting outsole that providesboth abrasion-resistance and traction. The midsole, in at least someinstances, will be the primary sole structure element that attenuatesground reaction forces and controls foot motion. Suitable polymer foammaterials for use as at least portions of the midsole includeethylvinylacetate (“EVA”) or polyurethane (“PU”) that compressresiliently under an applied load to attenuate ground reaction forces.Conventional polymer foam materials are resiliently compressible, inpart, due to the inclusion of a plurality of open or closed cells thatdefine an inner volume substantially displaced by gas. The upper memberand sole structure in footwear products may be joined to one another invarious different ways, such as using cements or adhesives, stitching orsewing, mechanical connectors, fusing techniques, or the like.

SUMMARY

The following presents a general summary of aspects of this invention inorder to provide a basic understanding of at least some aspects of theinvention. This summary is not intended as an extensive overview of theinvention. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements ofthe invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. The followingsummary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a general formas a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.

Aspects of this invention relate to generally to footwear systems (e.g.,including athletic footwear, etc.) that include data transmissioncapabilities. Such systems may include, for example: (a) an article offootwear including an upper member and a sole member engaged with theupper member; and (b) a data transmission system engaged with thearticle of footwear, wherein the data transmission system transmits datafrom the article of footwear for receipt by a remote system. The datatransmission systems in accordance with at least some examples of thisinvention may be used in conjunction with systems and methods formonitoring athletic performance and/or systems for providing advertisingand/or product information relating to the article of footwear and/orproducts useful in athletic activities engaged in while wearing thearticle of footwear. The data transmitted by the data transmissionsystem may be useful in such systems and methods. Optionally, footwearsystems in accordance with at least some examples of this inventionfurther may include an activation system engaged with the article offootwear for activating the data transmission system and/or a displaydevice in communication with the data transmission system for displayinginformation based, at least in part, on the data transmitted by the datatransmission system.

Additional aspects of this invention relate to data transfer systems.Such systems may include: (a) an article of footwear; (b) a datatransmission system engaged with the article of footwear, wherein thedata transmission system transmits data from the article of footwear;and (c) a remote system in communication with the data transmissionsystem for receiving the data from the data transmission system. Theremote system may include, for example, a display device, another datatransmission system, e.g., for transmitting data to another independentsystem or device, and/or a computer or other data processing system. Theremote system may be used, for example, to monitor athletic performanceand/or provide targeted product and/or advertising information based onthe information transmitted by the data transmission system.

Still additional aspects of this invention relate to methods of makingfootwear and/or data transfer systems, e.g., of the various typesdescribed above. As one example, aspects of the invention relate tomethods of producing footwear systems that include: (a) providing anarticle of footwear including an upper member and a sole member engagedwith the upper member; and (b) engaging a data transmission system withthe article of footwear, wherein the data transmission system transmitsdata from the article of footwear for receipt by a remote system (e.g.,athletic performance data, data used in monitoring athletic performance,data used in providing targeted and/or customize advertising and/orproduct information, etc.). Such methods further may include engaging anactivation system with the article of footwear and/or providing adisplay device for displaying information based, at least in part, onthe data transmitted by the data transmission system. Methods ofproviding data transfer systems in accordance with at least someexamples of this invention may include, for example: (a) engaging a datatransmission system with an article of footwear, wherein the datatransmission system transmits data from the article of footwear (e.g.,data of the types useful in the various systems and/or methods describedabove); and (b) providing a remote system in communication with the datatransmission system for receiving the data from the data transmissionsystem. If desired, the remote system may include one or more of: adisplay device for displaying information based at least in part on datatransmitted by the data transmission system, another data transmissionsystem, a remote computer or data processing system, and the like.

Still other methods in accordance with at least some examples of thisinvention relate to data transfer methods that utilize, for example,footwear systems and/or data transfer systems of the types describedabove. Such methods may include, for example: (a) activating a datatransmission system engaged with an article of footwear (e.g., engagedwith the sole member and/or upper member, included as an integral partof the structure of the article of footwear, engaged with the article offootwear via a tag member, etc.); and (b) transmitting data from thearticle of footwear to a remote system. As noted above, the transmitteddata may include, for example, athletic performance data, data used inmonitoring athletic performance, data used in providing targeted and/orcustomized advertising or product information, etc. Some additionalaspects of this invention may include, for example: displayinginformation to the footwear user and/or others based on the datatransmitted by the data transmission system; and/or transmitting datafrom the remote system to another remote system (e.g., to the wearer ofthe article of footwear or others), wherein the data or informationtransmitted to the second remote system is determined, at least in part,based on the original data transmitted to the remote system. Additionalmethods in accordance with at least some examples of this inventionfurther may include one or more additional steps, such as: (a)identifying a user of the article of footwear based on the datatransmitted by the data transmission system; (b) displaying advertisingor product information to the user based, at least in part, on the datatransmitted by the data transmission system; (c) correlating a presenceof a user of the article of footwear to a specific location and/or at aspecific time based on the data transmitted by the data transmissionsystem; (d) determining race or event start, finish, and/or intermediatesplit times for a user of the article of footwear based on the datatransmitted by the data transmission system; (e) determining a user'spresence at and/or use of a specific piece of exercise equipment, aspecific gym or exercise facility, a specific retail sales location, orthe like based on the data transmitted by the data transmission system;(f) providing data for a game or reward program based on the datatransmitted by the data transmission system; (g) registering a user ofthe article of footwear for an event or competition based on the datatransmitted by the data transmission system; (h) identifying a specificarticle of footwear (e.g., by owner, by model or style, bymanufacturer's lot, etc.) based on the data transmitted by the datatransmission system; (i) providing data indicating athletic performanceinformation associated with the use of the article of footwear based onthe data transmitted by the data transmission system (e.g., shoemileage, speed, and/or timing information, etc.); (j) activating displayor presentation of product specific information (e.g., advertisinginformation) based on data transmitted by the data transmission system;(k) activating display or presentation of user specific or customizedproduct information (e.g., advertising information) based on datatransmitted by the data transmission system; (l) displaying informationto the user, e.g., route information, timing information, split times,distance information, warning information, etc.; or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention and certainadvantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the followingdescription in consideration with the accompanying drawings, in whichlike reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein:

FIG. 1 generally illustrates an example environment and system in whichaspects of the invention may be practiced;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams illustrating example componentsthat may be included and/or used in data transmission systems useful insystems and methods according to at least some examples of thisinvention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating example components that maybe included and/or used in footwear and/or data transfer systems andmethods according to at least some examples of this invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example remote display device that may be used insystems and methods according to at least some examples of thisinvention;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example article of footwear including a displaydevice that may be used in systems and methods according to at leastsome examples of this invention; and

FIGS. 6 through 10 illustrate various examples of environments in whichsystems and methods according to at least some examples of thisinvention may be used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of various examples of the invention,reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a parthereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various examplesystems and environments in which aspects of the invention may bepracticed. It is to be understood that other specific arrangements ofparts, example systems, components, and environments may be utilized andstructural and functional modifications may be made to the describedarrangements and systems without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. Also, while the terms “top,” “bottom,” “side,” “front,”“back,” “above,” “below,” “under,” “over,” and the like may be used inthis specification to describe various example features and elements ofthe invention, these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience,e.g., based on the example orientations shown in the figures and/or atypical orientation during a typical use. Nothing in this specificationshould be construed as requiring a specific three dimensionalorientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of thisinvention.

A. General Description of Footwear and Data Transferring Systems,Methods of Making Them, and Methods of Using Them According to theInvention

1. Footwear and Data Transfer Systems

Some aspects of the present invention relate generally to footwearsystems that include data transmission capabilities. Such systems mayinclude, for example: (a) an article of footwear including an uppermember and a sole member engaged with the upper member; and (b) a datatransmission system engaged with the article of footwear, wherein thedata transmission system transmits data from the article of footwear forreceipt by a remote system. The transmitted data may include athleticperformance data, data used in monitoring athletic performance, and/ordata used in providing targeted or customized advertising or productinformation. Optionally, footwear systems in accordance with at leastsome examples of this invention further may include an activation systemengaged with the article of footwear for activating the datatransmission system. The data transmission system and/or the activationsystem may be engaged with any portion of the article of footwear in anydesired manner, e.g., with the sole member, with the upper member,attached via a tag member (e.g., a hanging tag connected to the articleof footwear, etc.), etc. The data transmission system and the activationsystem, when both present, may be provided as separate elements,provided in a common housing or substrate, provided as separatecomponents, or otherwise provided in any desired manner withoutdeparting from this invention.

When present, any type of activation system may be used withoutdeparting from this invention. As more specific examples, activationsystems including an accelerometer, a piezoelectric element, a Hallsensor system or other magnetic sensing system, a radio frequencyidentification (“RFID”) system, a physical button or other switchingmechanism, and the like may be used in various examples of thisinvention. Footwear systems in accordance with at least some examples ofthis invention may use an RFID system for both activating the datatransmission system and actually transmitting the desired data (e.g.,transmitting user identification data, product or footwearidentification data, athletic performance data, etc. via the RFIDtransmission system).

Any type of activation action also may be used to activate the datatransmission system without departing from this invention. For example,data transmission may be activated or initiated in response to anexternal input received at an input system in at least some examples ofthis invention. The input system may receive user input in a wirelessmanner, such as via radio waves (e.g., the input system including aradio antenna, such as an RFID system, etc.), via magnetic fields (e.g.,the input system including a Hall sensing system or other magnetic fieldsensor to detect magnetic fields or changes in magnetic fields, etc.),infrared transmission systems, and the like. As still additionalexamples, contact between the sole member of the article of footwear anda surface, such as a ground surface or floor surface, may be sensed ordetected and used to activate the data transmission system. In thismanner, if desired, data may be transmitted by the data transmissionsystem, e.g., as a result of a user's step (e.g., while walking,running, or jogging, etc.), as a result of landing a jump, as a resultof a stomping action, or the like while the user wears the article offootwear.

Data may be made available to the article of footwear and/or madeavailable for transmission by the data transmission system included withthe article of footwear for any desired purpose, it may include anydesired content, and/or it may be provided in any desired form or formatwithout departing from this invention. Desired data may be input to thearticle of footwear (e.g., to a memory or other processing systemincluded in or on the article of footwear) at any desired time and/or inany desired manner without departing from this invention, for example,at a manufacturing, wholesaler, or retail location; at a point of salelocation; at a point of use location; by the user at home or at anotherlocation (e.g., via a personal computer or over a computer network); atspecial locations designated for this type of input (e.g., at a kiosk ina retail location or mall, etc.); or the like. Any content may be inputto the article of footwear and/or made available for transmission fromthe article of footwear without departing from the invention. In someexamples of this invention, the data transmission system may transmitdata identifying a particular user of the article of footwear (e.g., thepurchaser, etc.). Such data may be used, for example, for athleticperformance monitoring purposes, e.g., to correlate or confirm theuser's presence at a specific location and/or at a specific time. Asmore specific examples, transmission of data identifying the user orwearer of an article of footwear at specific times and/or specificlocations may be used for athletic performance monitoring purposes, forexample: for automatically determining and logging race or event start,finish, and/or split times for the user; for use in games, competitions,challenges, or reward programs; for use in automatically determining andlogging user gym or exercise facility use (e.g., even to confirm use ofspecific pieces of equipment at the gym or exercise facility, the timingand/or length of use, etc.); for use in automatically registering a userfor an event or competition; etc. User identification data also may betransmitted for use in confirming user presence at retail, sales,promotional, or other event locations (e.g., for contests, award orreward programs, etc.).

As still other examples, data transmitted by the data transmissionsystems in accordance with examples of this invention may include dataidentifying the article of footwear, such as the model or style of thearticle of footwear. Such data may be used by the receiving system totrigger advertising or other informational audio or video displays thatcontain product specific or other targeted information, e.g., at aretail location. The data transmitted by the data transmission systemalso may include athletic performance information associated with use ofthe article of footwear, such as total mileage on the article offootwear, user speed and/or event timing information (e.g., start,finish, split times, etc.), information for use in a game or rewardprogram, average workout times, speeds, or distances, etc.

Footwear and/or data transfer systems in accordance with stilladditional examples of this invention may include a display device incommunication with the data transmission system for displayinginformation based, at least in part, on the data transmitted by the datatransmission system (e.g., the remote system to which the data istransmitted may include a display device). Of course, any type ofinformation may be displayed without departing from the invention, suchas athletic performance information associated with use of the articleof footwear; start/finish/split time information for an event;information relating to a game or reward program; user identificationinformation (e.g., for event registration, athletic performance, gamesor rewards, or other purposes); product or advertising information;and/or the like. If desired, in accordance with at least some examplesof this invention, the display device may be engaged with the article offootwear, e.g., incorporated and integrated into its structure, attachedto it, etc.

Additional aspects of this invention, as mentioned above, relate to datatransfer systems. Such systems may include: (a) an article of footwear;(b) a data transmission system engaged with the article of footwear,wherein the data transmission system transmits data from the article offootwear (e.g., the data may include, for example, the various types ofcontent described above); and (c) a remote system in communication withthe data transmission system for receiving the data from the datatransmission system. The remote system may be used for practicingvarious features and aspects of the invention as described above.

The remote system may include various components, elements, orcharacteristics without departing from the invention. For example, theremote system may include a display device for displaying informationbased at least in part on data transmitted by the data transmissionsystem. Additionally or alternatively, the remote system may includeanother data transmission system, e.g., for transmitting data to anotherindependent system or device, such as a portable display device or othersystem carried by the footwear wearer (e.g., to provide split timeinformation, route information (e.g., approaching features, warnings,approaching water or first aid stations, etc.), current race standingsor other information, etc.). As still additional examples, the remotesystem may receive data identifying the article of footwear, and theremote system may use this information to activate specificadvertisements or product information, e.g., directed to this specificproduct line and/or related products.

2. Methods of Making Footwear and Data Transfer Systems

Additional aspects of this invention relate to methods of makingfootwear and/or data transfer systems, e.g., of the various typesdescribed above. One aspect of this invention relates to methods ofproducing footwear systems that include: (a) providing an article offootwear, e.g., including an upper member and a sole member engaged withthe upper member; and (b) engaging a data transmission system with thearticle of footwear, wherein the data transmission system transmits datafrom the article of footwear for receipt by a remote system. The datatransmitted by the data transmission system may include athleticperformance data, data used in monitoring athletic performance, dataused in providing customized and/or targeted advertising, etc. Suchmethods further may include engaging an activation system with thearticle of footwear (wherein the activation system is operativelyarranged so as to activate the data transmission system) and/orproviding a display device (optionally engaged with the article offootwear) for displaying information based, at least in part, on thedata transmitted by the data transmission system. The activation system,in accordance with at least some examples of this invention, may becontained in a common housing and/or fixed on a common card or boardwith the data transmission system, such that the activation system andthe data transmission system may be engaged with the article of footwearsimultaneous in one action. Footwear systems according to examples ofthis invention may be used in and/or with any of the various systemsdescribed above and/or for any of the various purposes described above.Additionally, the footwear systems according to at least some examplesof this invention may include, inter alia, any and/or all of the variousfeatures, elements, components, and/or characteristics described above.

Methods of providing data transfer systems in accordance with at leastsome examples of this invention may include, for example: (a) engaging adata transmission system with an article of footwear, wherein the datatransmission system transmits data from the article of footwear; and (b)providing a remote system in communication with the data transmissionsystem for receiving the data from the data transmission system. Thetransmitted data may include content like that described above. Ifdesired, the remote system may include one or more of: a display devicefor displaying information based at least in part on data transmitted bythe data transmission system, another data transmission system (e.g.,for transmitting data to another system, such as to another displaydevice, to a portable display device at the user's location (e.g.,carried by the user), to a remote computer or data processing system, toa registration system, etc.), and the like.

Methods in accordance with these various examples of the inventionfurther may include: providing a portable or other display device fordisplaying information based, at least in part, on data transmitted bythe data transmission system and/or the remote system. The data transfersystems according to at least some examples of this invention may beused in and/or with any of the various systems described above and/orfor any of the various purposes described above. Additionally, the datatransfer systems according to at least some examples of this inventionmay include, inter alia, any and/or all of the various features,elements, components, and/or characteristics described above.

3. Methods of Using Footwear and Data Transfer Systems

Additional aspects of this invention relate to data transfer methodusing, for example, footwear systems and/or data transfer systems, e.g.,of the types described above. Such methods may include: (a) activating adata transmission system engaged with an article of footwear (e.g.,engaged with the sole member and/or upper member included as part of thearticle of footwear, engaged with a tag member attached to the articleof footwear, etc.); and (b) transmitting data from the article offootwear to a remote system. The transmitted data may include, forexample, athletic performance data, data used in monitoring athleticperformance, data used in providing targeted and/or customizedadvertising, etc. Some additional example aspects of this inventioninclude, for example: displaying information to the footwear user and/orothers based on the data transmitted by the data transmission system;and/or transmitting data from the remote system to another remote system(e.g., to the wearer of the article of footwear or others), wherein thedata transmitted to the second remote system is determined, at least inpart, based on the original data transmitted to the remote system.

The activating step may take place in any desired manner and in a widevariety of different ways without departing from this invention. Forexample, the activating step may be triggered in response to outputgenerated by an accelerometer, a piezoelectric element, a Hall sensorsystem or other magnetic sensor system, or the like. As additionalexamples, the activating step may include exposing the article offootwear to radio waves, e.g., at a predetermined frequency, and thetransmitting then may occur, e.g., via an RFID system triggered inresponse to the exposing of the article of footwear to the radio waves.As still additional examples, the activating step may includeinteracting with a switch or button operatively connected the datatransmission system, contacting a sole member of the article of footwearwith the ground or other surface (e.g., during a step, landing a jump,as part of a stomping action, etc.), etc.

Methods according to at least some examples of the invention may receiveany type of input (e.g., of the types described above) and use thatinput to trigger the activating step and/or to ultimately trigger datatransmission. In accordance with at least some examples of thisinvention, the input will be received in a wireless manner, such as viaa radio antenna, through radio waves, through magnetic fields (or sensedchanges in a magnetic field), via contact or interaction with anexternal member (such as via contact between a sole member of thearticle of footwear and a surface, pressing a button, etc.), and thelike.

Additional methods in accordance with at least some examples of thisinvention further may include one or more additional steps, such as: (a)identifying a user of the article of footwear based on the datatransmitted by the data transmission system; (b) displaying advertisingor product information to the user based, at least in part, on the datatransmitted by the data transmission system; (c) correlating a presenceof a user of the article of footwear with a specific location and/or ata specific time based on the data transmitted by the data transmissionsystem; (d) determining race or event start, finish, and/or intermediatesplit times for a user of the article of footwear based on the datatransmitted by the data transmission system; (e) determining a user'spresence at and/or use of a specific piece of exercise equipment, aspecific gym or exercise facility, a specific retail sales location, orthe like based on the data transmitted by the data transmission system;(f) providing data for a game or reward program based on the datatransmitted by the data transmission system; (g) registering a user ofthe article of footwear for an event or competition based on the datatransmitted by the data transmission system; (h) identifying a specificarticle of footwear (e.g., by owner, by model or style, manufacturer'slot number, GUID, etc.) based on the data transmitted by the datatransmission system; (i) providing data indicating athletic performanceinformation associated with use of the article of footwear based on thedata transmitted by the data transmission system (e.g., shoe mileage,speed and/or timing information, average speed, average workout times ordistances, etc.); (j) activating display or presentation of productspecific information (e.g., advertising information) based on datatransmitted by the data transmission system; (k) activating display orpresentation of user specific or customized product information (e.g.,advertising information) based on data transmitted by the datatransmission system; (l) displaying information to the user, e.g., routeinformation, timing information, split times, distance information,warning information etc.; or the like.

Specific examples of structures according to examples of the inventionare described in more detail below. The reader should understand thatthese specific examples and structures are set forth merely toillustrate the invention, and they should not be construed as limitingthe invention.

B. Specific Examples of the Invention

The various figures in this application illustrate examples of footwearsystems, data transfer systems, and methods of making and using thesesystems according to examples of this invention. When the same referencenumber appears in more than one drawing, that reference number is usedconsistently in this specification and the drawings to refer to the sameor similar parts throughout.

FIG. 1 generally illustrates a data transfer system 100 in accordancewith at least some examples of this invention. In this example, the datatransfer system 100 includes an article of footwear 102 and a datatransmission system 104 engaged with the article of footwear 100. Thedata transmission system 104 of this example system 100 transmits datafrom the article of footwear 102 to a remote system 106 that, in thisexample system 100, is in wireless electronic communication with thedata transmission system 104 (as shown by transmission arrow 108).

The article of footwear 102 may be of any desired construction withoutdeparting from this invention. For example, the article of footwear 102may include an upper member 102 a engaged with a sole member 102 b inany desired manner, such as via stitching, adhesives, cements,mechanical connectors, fusion techniques, and the like, including inconventional manners known and used in the art. The article of footwear102 may be of any desired construction, made up of any desired materials(including the specific materials mentioned above), and may include anydesired type of closure system (such as laces, buckles, hook-and-lookfasteners, magnetic closure systems, clamps, clasps, other mechanicalconnectors, retaining elements, and the like) or no closure system. Ingeneral, the article of footwear 102 may represent any of manyconventional footwear structures, including athletic footwear typestructures and/or structures known and available in the art.

The data transmission system 104 may be engaged with the article offootwear 102 in any desired manner without departing from the invention.For example, the data transmission system 104 may be integrally formedwith the article of footwear 102 during manufacture such that the datatransmission system 104 is fully or partially concealed within theremainder of the structure of the article of footwear 102. As anotherexample, if desired, the data transmission system 104 may fit into apocket, slot, groove, or other structure integrally formed in or on thearticle of footwear 102 (e.g., formed in or on the upper member 102 a orin or on any portion of the sole member 102 b) such that the datatransmission system 104 may be removably inserted into and/or otherwiseattached with the article of footwear 102 and freely engageable withand/or detachable therefrom. In some examples, the data transmissionsystem 104 may fit into a slot formed in a midsole or other portion ofan article of footwear 102 using structures of the type used forreleasably securing memory cards, PCMCIA cards, and/or other deviceswith electronic or computer devices.

The data transmission system 104 may include one or more datatransmission elements 104 a capable of electronic communication and datatransfer with one or more remote devices 106 (e.g., communication anddata transfer with a reception element 106 a provided with the remotedevice 106). Electronic communications in any form, using any datatransfer forms, formats, and/or protocols, may be used without departingfrom this invention. As examples, the data transmission element 104 aand/or data reception element 106 a may communicate with one another inwired or wireless manners without departing from this invention. As somemore specific examples, the data transmission element 104 a maycommunicate with the data reception element 106 a (and vice versa) viaradio transmissions, cellular telephone transmissions, infraredradiation transmissions, or the like. Also, if desired, each of the datatransmission system 104 and the data reception or remote system 106actually may be capable of both sending and receiving data, to therebyenable two way communications between the data transmission system 104and the remote system 106 without departing from this invention (e.g.,to further enable data input to the data transmission system 104 and/orits various components, if necessary or desired, for example reasons tobe explained in more detail below, etc.).

FIG. 2A includes a schematic diagram of an example data transmissionsystem 104 that may be used in accordance with at least some examples ofthis invention. While the example structures of FIGS. 1 and 2Aillustrate the data transmission system 104 as a separate, stand alonecomponent that may be included as part of a footwear structure 102,those skilled in the art will appreciate that all of the components andelements of a data transmission system 104 useful in accordance with atleast some examples of this invention need not be contained within asingle housing, mounted on a single, board, or otherwise contained in asingle package. Rather, if desired, various components or elements ofthe data transmission system 104 may be separate from one another, indifferent housings, on different boards, and/or separately engaged withthe article of footwear 102 in a variety of different manners withoutdeparting from this invention.

In the example of FIG. 2A, the data transmission system 104 includes adata transmission element 104 a for transmitting data to a remote systemas described above in conjunction with FIG. 1. The system 104 of thisexample further includes a processing system 202 (e.g., one or moremicroprocessors), a memory system 204, and a power supply 206 (e.g., abattery or other power source). A “sensor” 208 may be provided to sensea wide variety of different types of parameters, such as physical orphysiological data associated with use of the article of footwear 102,such as pedometer type speed and/or distance information, other speedand/or distance data sensors, temperature, altitude, barometricpressure, humidity, GPS data, heart rate, pulse rate, blood pressure,body temperature, EKG data, EEG data, etc., and this data may be storedin memory 204 and/or made available, for example, for transmission bythe transmission element 104 a to some remote location or system.

As further shown in FIG. 2A, the data transmission system 104 of thisexample structure includes an activation system 210. The activationsystem 210 may be engaged with the article of footwear 102, togetherwith or separate from other portions of the data transmission system104, and the activation system 210 may be used for activating the datatransmission system 104 and/or at least some functions of the datatransmission system 104 (e.g., data transmission functions, etc.). Awide variety of different activation systems may be used withoutdeparting from this invention. For example, in at least some examplesystems and methods according to this invention, the activation system210 will be used to activate at least some data transmission functionswhen a user steps down in the article of footwear 102, e.g., when takinga step when walking or running, or optionally, when a user steps downhard in the article of footwear 102, e.g., when landing a jump orstomping in the article of footwear 102. If necessary or desired, thedata transmission system 104 and/or the activation system 210 may beprogrammed and adapted such that at least some minimum threshold amountof force must be applied to the article of footwear 102 (e.g., contactbetween the sole member 102 b and a contact surface, contact between theuser's foot and the sole member 102 b, etc.) before data transmissionfunctions will be activated (e.g., to avoid sending out data with eachand every step and/or with each and every minor motion of the footwithin the article of footwear 102). Optionally, if desired, the datatransmission system 104 may include an ON/OFF switch or other switchingmechanism so that data transmission can be turned off, if desired, e.g.,for airline or hospital use, to conserve power supply strength (e.g.,battery power), when not competing or exercising, etc. While additionaland some more specific examples of data transmitted and its use will bedescribed in more detail below, if desired, the activation system 210may be used to activate the data transmission system 104 to send out anydesired type of information, including physical and/or physiologicaldata of the types described above, data used for monitoring athleticperformance, data used for providing targeted or customized advertising,etc.

A wide variety of different types of activation systems may be usedwithout departing from this invention. As examples, as mentioned above,the activation system 210 may be used to sense contact between thearticle of footwear and a surface and/or a user's foot, e.g., during usewhile walking, running, jumping, stomping, etc. More particular examplesof activation system 210 structures that may be used in accordance withat least some examples of this invention include: an accelerometer(e.g., to sense changes in velocity, acceleration, or foot movementdirection in response to a step, jump, stomping action, etc.); apiezoelectric element (e.g., to sense contact pressure between the shoeand a contact surface, to sense contact pressure between the foot and aportion of the sole member, etc.); a Hall sensor system or othermagnetic sensor system (e.g., to sense changes in a magnetic field, forexample, due to compression of a midsole or other portion of the solemember, as described, for example, in U.S. Patent Published Appln. No.2004/0177531, which publication is entirely incorporated herein byreference); a button or switch (e.g., activated manually, activated by auser's step, activated by contact between the sole member and a contactsurface, activated by contact between the sole member and a user's foot,etc.); or the like. As another example, if desired, the activationsystem 210 may include a radio frequency identification system (“RFID”system) wherein exposure of the activation system 210 to radio waveswill induce transmission of a signal. Optionally, if desired, a singleRFID system may be used as both the data transmission system 104 and theactivation system 210 wherein exposure of the RFID system antenna toradio waves of the proper frequency will induce a radio transmission,including the desired data, to a remote system 106.

Accordingly, and as described above, in accordance with at least someexamples of this invention, the activation system 210 will include somesort of input system that accepts input from an external source orstimulus, and receipt of this input, optionally when it meets one ormore threshold criteria (e.g., sufficient force, proper frequency,proper strength, etc.), can be used to initiate activation of the datatransmission system 104 or data transmission element 104 a. In at leastsome examples of systems and methods according to this invention, theexternal input system will receive input in a wireless manner, such asvia a radio antenna (e.g., for the RFID systems described above), via amagnetic sensor (e.g., for the Hall sensor systems or other magneticsensor systems described above), via a pressure sensor (e.g., for thepiezoelectric or other contact sensing systems described above), viaspeed, direction, or acceleration changes (e.g., for the accelerometerbased systems described above), etc. Alternatively, if desired, inputmay be received via a wired connection between an external input sourceand the activation system 210 included with the article of footwear 102.

FIG. 2B illustrates a schematic diagram of another example datatransmission system 104 in accordance with at least some examples ofthis invention. This system 104 includes a data transmission element 104a, processing system 202, memory system 204, power supply elements 206,and sensors 208, e.g., of the types generally described above inconjunction with FIG. 2A. In this example system 104, however, theactivation system 220 is provided separate from the remainder of thedata transmission system 104. When separated in this manner, input fromthe activation system 220 may be provided to the data transmissionsystem 104 in any desired manner, e.g., to processing system 202 via awired or wireless connection. The input from the activation system 220also may be provided in any desired form or format without departingfrom the invention, for example, in the various forms and formatsdescribed above. As additional examples, if desired, the activationsystem 220 may constitute a simple button, switch, or other input sourcethat simply provides an activation signal to the processing system 202of the data transmission system 104 (e.g., a logical “1”). If desired,in at least some examples according to this invention, the activationsystem 220 may constitute an external button or other device, optionallymounted on the article of footwear 102 or otherwise carried by the user,that a user can manually activate or can otherwise be activated(optionally automatically activated when a user steps down, stomps,lands a jump, etc.), to induce the data transmission system 104 totransmit data. Of course, if desired and as noted above, other portionsof the data transmission system 104 may be located or housed separateand independent from one another without departing from this invention.

FIG. 3 includes a schematic diagram illustrating various examplecomponents and features of the example system 100 shown in FIG. 1. Thisexample system 100, as described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1 and2A, includes a data transmission system 104 and a remote device 106 forreceiving data transmitted by the data transmission system 104. Theremote device 106 may include its own processing system 302 (e.g., oneor more microprocessors), a memory system 304, and a power supply 306,as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The remote device 106 may be programmed and adapted to perform variousfunctions in accordance with examples of this invention. For example,the remote device 106 may include an audio, video, and/or alphanumericdisplay device 308 for displaying information, e.g., to the footwearuser or to a third party, wherein the displayed information is based, atleast in part and in some instances, on the data transmitted by the datatransmission system 104. Additionally or alternatively, if desired, theremote device 106 may include a user input system 310, for receivinguser input, e.g., to enter or adjust settings, to control the functionsor settings of the remote system 106 or various components thereof,and/or to enter settings or control the functions of the datatransmission system 104 or the various components thereof (such as theactivation system 210, the sensing system 208, etc.). If desired, userinput or other data or information accepted and/or generated by theremote system 106 may be transmitted back to the data transmissionsystem 104 and/or to one or more other systems (e.g., remote system 314)via data reception element 106 a (assuming that this reception element106 a also has data transmission capabilities). Alternatively oradditionally, if desired, user input or other data or informationgenerated by the remote system 106 may be sent to the data transmissionsystem 104 and/or to one or more other systems (such as remote system314) via output system 312 (e.g., a data transmission line, a wirelesstransmission system, etc.). The remote systems may take on any desiredform without departing from the invention, such as a computer orcomputing system, a remote display device, another data transmissionsystem, or the like. Connections between remote system 106 and remotesystem 314 may take on any desired form, such as wired or wirelessconnections, and the data may be transferred in any desired form orformat without departing from this invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a remote system 106 (or 314) that maybe provided in accordance with at least some examples of this invention.As shown, in this example, the remote system 106 (or 314) takes on theform of a watch or other wearable electronic device 400, optionallywearable by the user of the article of footwear 102. The watch 400 mayinclude a wireless receiver 106 a for receiving data from a datatransmission system 104 associated with an article of footwear. Thewatch 400 of this example further includes a display device 308 that canbe used to display various types of information to the user, such asdistance and/or speed information, elapsed time information, routewarning information, physical or physiological data associated with theworkout, etc. The information displayed to the user, as will bedescribed in more detail below, may be based, at least in part and insome instances, on information sent in response to the activation system210 or 220 activating the data transmission system 104. As shown in FIG.4, this watch 400 further may include user input devices 310 in the formof a series of buttons through which the user can input data to controlthe settings, features, or functions of the 400, the data transmissionsystem 104 or its various components, and/or another remote system. Ofcourse, other user input systems may be included without departing fromthe invention, such as stylus and digitizer inputs, voice inputs, andthe like.

FIG. 4 illustrates another example feature that may be included with atleast some examples of systems and methods according to this invention.Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the display 308 may include an icon402 or some other appropriate type of indicator (e.g., an activated LEDor other light source, a light of a certain color, a vibration source,an audio element, an LCD display, or the like) to indicate when data isbeing exchanged between the remote system 106 and the data transmissionsystem 104. This icon 402 or other indicator may be activated, forexample, whenever the activation system 210 has activated the datatransmission system 104 to send data to the remote system, wheneverthere is an active link between the transmission system 104 and remotesystem 106, etc. In this manner, the user can readily see when dataexchange is taking place. Other indicators for other purposes also maybe included in the watch 400 (or other remote system) without departingfrom this invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates another example remote system 106 that may beprovided in accordance with at least some examples of this invention. Inthis instance, the remote system 106 is included as part of an articleof footwear structure 500. Data from the data transmission system 104 inthis example structure is transmitted to the remote system 106 via awired connection 504, received by the remote system 106, and used toprovide a display on a display device 502 included as part of the remotesystem 106 (e.g., an LCD display, such as an alphanumeric display asused in pagers, telephones, or the like). If desired, a button 506 maybe provided as part of the activation system, e.g., to send a signal tothe data transmission system 104 to send mileage data, elapsed timedata, and/or other desired data to the remote system 106 for display(e.g., a user could activate this feature at the end of a run, to gettotal mileage on the shoes, etc.). Of course, various other activationsystems, like those described above, also may be used with this footwearstructure 500 without departing from this invention.

Systems and methods according to examples of this invention may be usedto generate, transmit, and utilize a wide range of different types ofdata for a wide range of purposes. Various more specific examples ofactivation of the data transmission system 104 and/or uses of thetransmitted data are described below in conjunction with FIGS. 6-10.

In accordance with at least some examples of this invention, footwearand data transfer systems and methods, like those described above, maybe used for race, athletic event, competition, and/or other registrationpurposes. FIG. 6 illustrates an example of such a system 600.Specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates a registration kiosk 602 that may beused, for example, at a race, competition, tournament (e.g., a golftournament, baseball tournament, etc.), or other locale, e.g., forregistering athletes that will participate in the event. As shown inFIG. 6, in this example of the invention, the athlete 604 wears anarticle of footwear 102 that includes a data transmission system 104,e.g., of the types described above in connection with FIGS. 1-3 and/or5. When the athlete 604 approaches the registration kiosk 602, theactivation system of the data transmission system 104 may be activated,which induces the data transmission system 104 to transmit data to theremote computer system 606 (e.g., by wireless transmission, as shown bytransmission arrow 608). While the data transmission system 104 may beprogrammed and adapted to transmit any desired data content, the datatransmitted by the data transmission system 104 in this example mayinclude at least data identifying the athlete 604 wearing the article offootwear 102. If desired, the data transmission system 104 may itselftransmit all of the data necessary to register the athlete 604 for theevent. Alternatively, if desired, the data transmission system 104 maysimply transmit information identifying the athlete 604, and thecomputer system 606 may include or be capable of obtaining all of thenecessary registration information for the athlete 604 based on thetransmitted identification information (e.g., the computer system 606may look up the necessary data from a table, obtain the information frommemory or a network link, etc.). This system 600 provides quick, easy,and automated event registration and allows the athlete 604 to attend tomore pressing needs, such as preparing for the event, warming up, mediaor fan relations, etc.

If desired, as the data transmission and/or registration processproceeds, the computer system 606 (or the data transmission system 104)may send a signal or data to another remote device, such as an athletecarried remote device 610 (such as a watch), as illustrated, forexample, by transmission arrow 612 in FIG. 6. As described above inconjunction with FIG. 4, this signal or data may advise the recipientthat registration data is being transmitted, that registration is takingplace, that registration is completed, and/or any desired information.

Any desired manner of activating the data transmission system 104 andtriggering it to send data to the computer system 606 may be usedwithout departing from this invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 6,as the user 604 approaches the registration kiosk 602, he or she maystep onto an area that includes an external input source 614 foractivating the activation system includes as part of the datatransmission system 104. As more specific examples, the external inputsource 614 may include a magnet (e.g., a permanent magnet and/or anelectromagnet) that provides a magnetic field and/or changes a magneticfield detected by a magnetic sensor, such as a Hall sensor system,included as part of the activation system (e.g., a magnetic sensorincluded as part of the data transmission system 104 and/or on thearticle of footwear 102, etc.). In response to the detected magneticfield and/or changes in the detected magnetic field, a magnetic sensorincluded as part of the activation system may trigger the datatransmission system 104 to send information to the remote computersystem 606 identifying the athlete 604 (and thus initiate the event orcompetition registration process). As another example, if desired,external input source 614 may include a radio wave source that inducesan RFID system included as an activation system in the data transmissionsystem 104 to send a signal to the remote computer system 606identifying the athlete 604 (and thus initiating the event orcompetition registration process). If desired, in this examplestructure, an RFID system may be used both as the activation system andas the data transmission system 104. Alternatively, if desired, the RFIDsystem could be used only as the activation system and a different datatransmission system 104 may be used to send the identifying data to theremote computer system 606 in response to output from the RFID system.

As still another example, if desired, a user may actively take action totrigger the activation system and thus initiate the data transfer. Forexample, if desired, the user could stomp his or her foot, jump up, andother otherwise initiate solid contact between the article of footwear102 and the surface 614 or the ground. This action may be detected,e.g., by an accelerometer, a piezoelectric sensor, or a contact elementprovided as part of the shoe 102 or data transmission system 104structure, and this detected action may be used to trigger the datatransmission system 104 to transmit the identifying data to remotecomputer 606. As another example, if desired, an athlete 604 couldinitiate the data transfer process and activate the data transmissionsystem 104 by pressing a button, e.g., on the article of footwear 102,on the athlete carried remote device 610, on the kiosk 602, on thecontact surface 614, on the remote computer 606, etc. Of course, a widevariety of other activation systems and/or changes or modifications tothe activation systems described above may be provided without departingfrom this invention.

Also, while this registration system 600 has been described in terms ofregistering athletes 604 for athletic events or competitions, it may beused for a wide variety of different purposes without departing from theinvention. In general, systems of the type described above withreference to FIG. 6 may be used at any desired time and/or in anydesired situation in which one desires to confirm the presence of aperson at a particular location, and the person's presence at thatlocation may be used by the remote computer system 606 to trigger a widevariety of actions. As additional examples, if desired, use of this typeof registration system, e.g., registration kiosk 602, may be used toconfirm the user's presence at a gym, retail location, a conventionbooth, or any other desired location, e.g., for prize or reward purposes(e.g., a company may provide discount coupons, prizes, or other awardswhen users use their footwear or equipment to keep in shape, e.g., forpromotional purposes, for advertising purposes, as incentives, etc.),for contest purposes, for use tracking purposes, etc. As stilladditional examples, if desired, registration systems of this type maybe placed at individual pieces of athletic equipment, e.g., at a gym orspa, to enable more precise tracking of the athlete's use of equipment,his/her training regiment, etc., for games, rewards, or contestpurposes, etc.

FIG. 7 illustrates another example of use of systems and methodsaccording to at least some examples of this invention. In addition toconfirming a user's presence at a specific location as described abovein conjunction with the system of FIG. 6, systems and methods accordingto at least some examples of this invention may be used to confirm auser's presence at a specific location and at a specific time. As shownin FIG. 7, a system 700 in accordance with this example aspect of theinvention may be used, e.g., at the start of a race or other event, toconfirm when the athlete 702 actually starts the race or event (e.g.,when he/she physically crosses the start line). In the example system700 shown in FIG. 7, as the athlete 702 wearing an article of footwear102 including a data transmission system 104 crosses the start line 704of an event, an activation system included with the data transmissionsystem 104 and/or the article of footwear 102 sends a signal orotherwise activates the data transmission system 104, inducing it tosend out data, as shown by transmission arrow 706. The transmitted data,which may include athlete 702 identification information and/or otherdesired information, may be sent to a remote system 708 (which mayinclude one or more processing systems, such as a computer system) thatincludes a clock, and the remote system 708 then may record theathlete's start time for the event. Optionally, if desired, the remotesystem 708 may simply include a data transmission system that sends data(represented by wired connection 710) to another remote system 712 thatrecords the athlete's presence and correlates it with the athlete'sstarting time for the event. Of course, any type of connection betweenremote system 708 and remote system 712, if any, may be used withoutdeparting from the invention, including wireless connections, networkconnections, etc. Additionally, if desired, the second remote system 712may be eliminated and all processing may be performed by remote system708.

Optionally, if desired, one or more of the remote systems 708 and/or 712may send data and/or information back to the athlete 702, and/or theymay send data and/or information to another destination. FIG. 7illustrates, as an example, the remote system 712 sending data andinformation back to the athlete (as represented by transmission arrow714), e.g., to a user carried remote device 716, such as a watch. Theuser carried remote device 716 may include a display to provideinformation to the athlete, such as his/her start time information, itmay activate a stop watch included with the device 716, etc. Any type ofdata or information may be sent to the athlete 702 without departingfrom this invention.

Again, many ways of activating the data transmission system 104 may beused without departing from this invention. For example, if desired, thestart line 704 may include an external input source 718, such as a radiowave source or a magnetic field source, and this external input source718 may be used to trigger the activation system and/or inducetransmission of data by the data transmission system 104, as describedabove in conjunction with FIG. 6 (e.g., trigger an RFID system, a Hallsensor system, a magnetic sensor system, etc.). As additional examples,contact between the article of footwear 102 and the ground surface maybe detected (e.g., by an accelerometer, a piezoelectric element, acontact detection system, etc.), and this detection may be used totrigger the data transmission system 104 (e.g., optionally with eachstep) to transmit data, as described above in conjunction with FIG. 6.As also described above in conjunction with FIG. 6, the datatransmission system 104 may transmit user identification informationand/or any other desired type of information or data without departingfrom this invention.

As another potential alternative, if desired, the data transmissionsystem 104 may transmit data relating to the athletic performance, e.g.,instead of or in addition to user identification data. As more specificexamples, if the article of footwear 102 or the data transmission system104 included a clock or timer, activation of the data transmissionsystem 104 could be used to send the athlete's start time (or othertiming information) to the remote system 708 and/or 712 (e.g., asillustrated by transmission arrows 706 and/or 710). As additionalexamples, if the article of footwear 102 or the data transmission system104 (or other available system) included sensors or has access to datafrom sensors of physical or physiological data associated with theathletic performance (e.g., pedometer based speed and/or distanceinformation, other speed and/or distance information, GPS information,heart rate information, pulse rate information, body temperatureinformation, ambient temperature or humidity information, etc.),activation of the data transmission system 104 could be used to sendthis type of physical and/or physiological data to the remote systems708 and/or 712 (e.g., as illustrated by transmission arrows 706 and/or710). Additionally, if desired, the remote systems 708 and/or 712 maysend data or information back to the athlete 702 or to another system,at least in part, based on the information originally sent by the datatransmission system 104.

Of course, use of this type of system 700 is not limited to the startingline of a race or event. Similar systems 700 could be placed at thefinish line, to record the athlete's finish time, as well as atintermediate locations along the route, to record the athlete'sintermediate split times (and optionally to provide the finish and/orsplit time information back to the athlete 702, as described above).Alternatively, for races or events that take place along a circuit ortrack, athletes may pass the start line plural times during an eventand/or the start line also may act as the finish line. Systems 700 ofthe type described above may be used in this situation to record start,finish, and/or split times and/or to provide this information back tothe athlete 702 without departing from the invention. Additionally,systems 700 of the type described in conjunction with FIG. 7 may be usedto determine the athlete's location along a route and/or to provideroute or other information to the athlete 702 along various portions ofthe route, for example, to warn the athlete 702 of approaching uphillstretches, downhill stretches, curbs, steps, or curved areas; to adviseof approaching water or first aid stations; to warn of approachinginclement weather or other hazardous conditions; to advise ofapproaching wet or slippery route conditions; to warn of approachingtrack change conditions (e.g., pavement changing to dirt, grass, etc.);and the like. Also, use of systems of the types described in conjunctionwith FIG. 7 is not limited to foot races, but rather may be used in awide variety of athletic events and/or other endeavors in which aperson's location and/or timing with respect to a specific location maybe useful as a trigger for transmitting information.

FIG. 8 illustrates another potential use of a system 800 in accordancewith at least some examples of this invention. The system 800 of FIG. 8is similar to the system 600 of FIG. 6, at least with respect to themanner in which the data transmission system 104 on the article offootwear 102 may be activated, the manner in which the data transmissionsystem 104 communicates with the remote system 606, and the like. Thesystem 800 in the example environment illustrated in FIG. 8 is used forsales, promotions, games, contests, rewards, and the like. As morespecific examples, a footwear or athletic equipment or apparelmanufacturer may sponsor a game or contest challenging users of theirproducts to meet certain goals or satisfy certain requirements for whichthey may receive points, win prizes, receive discounts on products,obtain coupons, receive recognition, etc. The system 800 of FIG. 8relates to a location (such as a “Sales/Rewards Desk” location 804) atwhich the user 802 may go, e.g., to register for the contest or game, tocheck his/her status in the contest game or contest, to confirm his/herpresence at the location, to redeem or receive prizes in the game orcontest, etc.

As some more specific examples, when a user 802 buys a new pair of shoes102 including a data transmission system 104, e.g., of the typesdescribed above, he or she may register for a contest (e.g., using alocation 804), for example, that challenges or provides incentives forthe user to use the new shoes 102 for workout purposes, e.g., to run 100miles in the new pair of shoes 102 within the next month (or optionallyto meet any goal, even user defined goals, or partially user definedgoals). At the time the user 802 originally registers, the datatransmission system 104 may transmit user or footwear identificationinformation, time and date information, and a base mileage on the shoes102 (e.g., 0 miles). In this example system, the article of footwear 102may be equipped with a pedometer based (or GPS or other) speed anddistance monitoring capabilities (e.g., as sensor 208 from FIGS. 2A and2B) that tracks the user's mileage as he or she uses the shoes 102. Atintermediate times during the game or contest time period, a user 802may approach a location 804 of the types described above, e.g., to checkhis or her progress in the challenge, receive additional information oradditional challenges, to communicate with fellow competitors, to checkstandings, etc. For example, when the user 802 approaches location 804,the data transmission system 104 on the article of footwear 102 may beactivated to again transmit user or footwear identification, date, andmileage information to the remote computer system 606. The remotecomputer system 606 may activate its own display or a remotely locateddisplay 806 to display status and/or other information to the user 802(as shown by transmission arrow 808), such as the accumulated mileage,the remaining distance to cover, the remaining time left in thechallenge, etc. Additionally, remote system 806 may be capable ofreceiving user input, e.g., via a keyboard, stylus, touch screen, voiceinput, etc. If the user has met the challenge goals, the display system806 may indicate this success, and the remote system 606 or the user 802may take steps to assure that the user 802 receives the appropriateprize or recognition.

Of course, a wide variety of different types of contests, competitions,and systems of this type may be arranged without departing from thisinvention. Moreover, such contests, competitions, and the like may beset up so that users compete against one another. As additionalpotential alternatives, users may be provided with input systems,software, or other components that enable them to design their owngames, competitions, contests, and/or challenges, optionally withmultiple participants, so that the games, competitions, contests, and/orchallenges can be better tailored to the participants' skill levels,goals, desired workout parameters or conditions, etc. Therefore,locations 804 of the types described above may be available in theuser's home, office, gym, or other workout locations. If desired, datacollected and obtained at multiple locations 804 for a single contestmay be transmitted over a network (e.g., the internet) for maintenanceof a single master database for the contest (e.g., multiple remotesystems 606 from multiple locations may collect data and transmit itover a network to a single computer (e.g., server, etc.) that maintainsthe data for the user(s)).

Also, a wide variety of electronic components, communication set ups,and interactions may be used in contest and/or gaming situations likethose described above in conjunction with FIG. 8 without departing fromthis invention. Additionally, if desired, in at least some instances orat least some times, the data transmission system 104 on the article offootwear 102 may be used to send at least some information directly tothe user 802 (e.g., to user carried display device 610 as illustrated bytransmission arrow 810) without use of the intermediate remote computersystem 606, e.g., to send shoe mileage information, contest statusinformation, etc., without departing from this invention.

Aspects of this invention may be used in a wide variety of environmentsincluding environments other than those described above in conjunctionwith FIGS. 1-8. For example, the data transmission system 104 maytransmit data other than user identification information and/or theother data described above. As one more specific example, the datatransmission system 104 engaged with an article of footwear may be usedto transmit data identifying the article of footwear, such as a specificGUID for the article of footwear, lot number information associated withthe article of footwear, model or style information associated with thearticle of footwear, manufacturing data associated with the article offootwear, and/or the like.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example system 900 in which transmission of dataidentifying an article of footwear 102 (e.g., its model, style, or thelike) by the data transmission system 104 may be used by systems andmethods according to at least some examples of this invention. In theexample illustrated in FIG. 9, the system 900 operates in a retail orother sales location environment for articles of footwear, e.g.,including articles of footwear 102 of the types described above. Asshown in FIG. 9, the retail or sales location includes shelves 902 onwhich various shoes of different styles and sizes (or other products)are available to the purchaser, e.g., to try on, etc.

In browsing or shopping for a pair of shoes (or other products), acustomer may consider purchasing a pair of shoes in which one or more ofthe articles of footwear include a data transmission system 104 engagedtherewith, for example, as described above. Activation of the datatransmission system 104 in this example system 900 (e.g., in thissetting, at this location, etc.) may be used to send data to a remotesystem 904 (as illustrated by transmission arrow 906) identifying thetype of shoes that the customer is considering for purchase. Thisactivation may occur in any desired manner, including in the variousmanners described above (e.g., exposure to radio waves to activate anRFID system, exposure to a magnetic field or a changing magnetic fieldto activate a magnetic sensor, through contact with a surface, through amanual button, etc.).

Once the remote system 904 receives the data identifying the style ortype of article of footwear 102, this data may be used to launch anadvertising or information display on display device 908, wherein theadvertising or other information is specifically directed toward orrelated to the footwear product 102 from which the data was originallysent. In this manner, customers can quickly and easily receive the mostrelevant product and/or advertising information relating to the productsof specific interest. Additionally or alternatively, if desired, theadvertising or product information displayed in response to datatransmitted by data transmission system 104 need not be limited tofootwear that this specific customer might be interested in purchasing,but the displayed information may include advertising or productinformation for clothing, equipment, and the like, and/or discountoffers and/or coupons for such products, etc., based on the type offootwear that the customer is considering for purchase.

Optionally, if desired, the remote system 904 also may receiveinformation identifying the specific potential purchaser and/orinformation regarding the customer's past use of their articles offootwear (e.g., customer ID and/or mileage information from a datatransmission system 104 associated with the customer's existing shoes(e.g., the ones he or she is seeking to replace), from another source,etc.). In such systems 900, the advertising or other product informationalso may be tailored toward the specific potential purchaser, e.g., toinclude his or her name, tailored to the activities in which he or shetends to participate, etc.

As another alternative, targeted advertising and/or other information ofthe types described above also may be used in conjunction with systemslike those described above in FIG. 8. For example, when a user comesinto a retail or other sales location wearing an article of footwear 102having a data transmission system 104, data from the articles offootwear 102 may be transmitted to the remote system 606 including, forexample, user identification information, original shoe purchase date,shoe mileage, shoe usage information (e.g., speed, average run distance,etc.), etc. The remote system 606 may activate advertising or productinformation to be displayed to the user 802 via display device 806,wherein the advertising or product information is specifically targetedto the user 802, e.g., it includes his or her name, suggests one or morepotential new products to the user 802 for purchase, (e.g., based onpast mileage, usage data, average running speed or distance data, etc.),and the like. The display 806 further may show the user 802 storelocations and/or specific locations within the store where he/she mayfind the advertised products, their costs, and/or any other desired dataor information relating to these products (optionally, if desired, thedisplay 806 may give the customer the option of adding the variousadvertised products to a virtual shopping cart, and the user could pickup the products, e.g., at the check-out counter or a pick-up locale, atthe time of or after paying for them). Additionally or alternatively,the advertising or product information presented on display 806 inresponse to data transmitted by the data transmission system 104 neednot be limited to footwear that this specific user 802 might beinterested in purchasing, but it may include advertising or productinformation for clothing, equipment, and the like, and/or discountoffers and/or coupons for such products, e.g., based on the informationindicating the user's past uses, purchases, etc.

In the various examples described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1-9,the data transmission system 104 has been integrally formed with and/orreleasably engaged within the structure of an article of footwear 102.While such an arrangement is useful in many examples of systems andmethods according to the invention, it is not a requirement in allexamples. FIG. 10 illustrates an example system 1000 in which a datatransmission system 1004 is engaged with an article of footwear 1002 ina releasable manner via a tag member 1006. The tag member 1006 may beengaged with the article of footwear 1002 in any desired manner, such asvia a string or loop, e.g., in the various manners in which hang tagsare engaged with articles of footwear in a conventional retail or salesenvironment, via a clamp or clasp, etc. Alternatively, if desired, thetag member 1006 may be engaged with the closure system of the article offootwear 1002, such as by passing a shoe lace or other securing elementof the article of footwear 1002 through one or more openings provided inthe tag member 1006. Of course, other ways of securing the tag member1006 to an article of footwear 1002 may be used without departing fromthe invention.

The data transmission system 1004 of these tag members 1006 may beactivated in any desired manner without departing from the invention,including the various manners described above (e.g., using a buttonarrangement 1008, using other contact sensing arrangements, usingmagnetic field sensing, using RFID technology, etc.). While theillustrated example of FIG. 10 shows the tag member 1006, including datatransmission system 1004, used in a retail or sales location andenvironment as described above in FIG. 9 (e.g., to activate display oftargeted advertising or product information), those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the tag arrangement (e.g., 1006) also may be usedin various example environments and/or for various purposes, including,for example, in the various environments and for the various purposesdescribed above in conjunction with FIGS. 6-8 (e.g., each race orcontest participant may be issued a tag for use during the event). Inthis manner, aspects of the invention may be extended to all articles offootwear, even those not specially equipped to receive a datatransmission system 104.

While aspects of this invention have been described in conjunction withvarious footwear products, including athletic footwear products, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that aspects of this invention may beused in conjunction with a wide variety of different footwear products,including, for example: all types of shoes, boots, sneakers, sandals,thongs, flip-flops, mules, scuffs, slippers, sport-specific shoes (suchas golf shoes, tennis shoes, baseball cleats, soccer or football cleats,ski boots, etc.), and the like. Additionally, aspects of this inventionmay be practiced with other products designed for receiving a user'sfoot in use, including any device into which a user places at least someportion of his or her foot (a “foot-receiving device”). In addition toall types of footwear (described above), “foot-receiving devices”include, but are not limited to: bindings and other devices for securingfeet in snow skis, cross country skis, water skis, snowboards, and thelike; bindings, clips, or other devices for securing feet in pedals foruse with bicycles, exercise equipment, and the like; bindings, clips, orother devices for receiving feet during play of video games or othergames; and the like. “Foot-receiving devices” may include foot-coveringmembers (e.g., akin to upper members in footwear products) andfoot-supporting members (e.g., akin to sole structures in footwearproducts). The foot-supporting members may include, inter alia, surfacecontacting members (e.g., akin to outsole members in footwear products).

CONCLUSION

Of course, many modifications to the specifically described structures,systems, and methods may take place without departing from thisinvention. For example, while the invention has been described withrespect to specific examples including presently preferred modes ofcarrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat there are numerous variations, combinations, and permutations ofthe above described systems and methods. Moreover, various specificstructural features included in the examples merely represent examplesof structural features that may be included in some examples ofstructures according to the invention. Those skilled in the art willunderstand that various specific structural features may be omittedand/or modified in a footwear or other foot-receiving device productwithout departing from the invention. Moreover, with respect to themethods, many variations in the method steps may take place, the stepsmay be changed in order, various steps or features may be added oromitted, etc., without departing from the invention. Thus, the readershould understand that the spirit and scope of the invention should beconstrued broadly as set forth in the appended claims.

1. A footwear system, comprising: an article of footwear including an upper member and a sole member engaged with the upper member; a data transmission system engaged with the article of footwear, wherein the data transmission system transmits data from the article of footwear for receipt by a remote system, wherein the data transmitted includes footwear user identification data; and an activation system engaged with the article of footwear for activating the data transmission system.
 2. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the activation system includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of: an accelerometer, a piezoelectric element, a Hall sensor system, and a switch or button member.
 3. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission system and the activation system together constitute a radio frequency identification system.
 4. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the activation system activates the data transmission system in response to contact between the sole member and a surface.
 5. A footwear system according to claim 4, wherein the contact between the sole member and the surface occurs as a result of a user's step or a user's stomping action while wearing the article of footwear.
 6. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the data transmission system and the activation system is engaged with the sole member.
 7. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the data transmission system and the activation system is engaged with the upper member.
 8. A footwear system according to claim 1, further comprising: a tag member engaged with the article of footwear, wherein at least one of the data transmission system and the activation system is included with the tag member.
 9. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the activation system includes an input system, wherein input received via the input system initiates the activation system to activate the data transmission system.
 10. A footwear system according to claim 9, wherein the input system includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of: a wireless receiver; a radio antenna; a magnetic sensor; and a sensor for sensing contact between the sole member and a surface.
 11. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein data transmitted by the data transmission system provides data for performing at least one function selected from the group consisting of: correlating the user to a specific location at a specific time; determining a race or event start time for the user; determining a race or event finish time for the user; and determining an intermediate race or event split time for the user.
 12. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein data transmitted by the data transmission system is used in a game or reward program.
 13. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein data transmitted by the data transmission system confirms the user's presence at a specific location.
 14. A footwear system according to claim 13, wherein the specific location is on a specific piece of workout equipment.
 15. A footwear system according to claim 13, wherein the specific location is a specific gym or exercise facility.
 16. A footwear system according to claim 13, wherein the specific location is a specific retail sales location.
 17. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein data transmitted by the data transmission system is used to register the user for an athletic event or competition.
 18. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission system further transmits footwear product identification data.
 19. A footwear system according to claim 18, wherein the footwear product identification data includes data identifying a model or style of the article of footwear.
 20. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission system further transmits data indicating athletic performance information associated with use of the article of footwear.
 21. A footwear system according to claim 20, wherein the athletic performance information includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of: user movement distance while using the article of footwear; user speed information while using the article of footwear; and user timing information while using the article of footwear.
 22. A footwear system according to claim 20, wherein the athletic performance information is used in a game or reward program.
 23. A footwear system according to claim 1, further comprising: a tag member engaged with the article of footwear, wherein the data transmission system is included with the tag member.
 24. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission system is a wireless data transmission system.
 25. A footwear system according to claim 1, further comprising: a display device in communication with the data transmission system for displaying information based, at least in part, on the data transmitted by the data transmission system.
 26. A data transfer system, comprising: an article of footwear; a first data transmission system engaged with the article of footwear, wherein the first data transmission system transmits data from the article of footwear, and wherein the data transmitted includes footwear user identification data; a first remote system in communication with the first data transmission system for receiving the data from the first data transmission system, wherein the first remote system includes a second data transmission system; and a second remote system for receiving data from the second data transmission system.
 27. A data transfer system according to claim 26, wherein the first remote system includes a display device for displaying information based at least in part on data transmitted by the data transmission system.
 28. A data transfer system according to claim 26, wherein the second remote system includes a portable device carried by a wearer of the article of footwear.
 29. A data transfer system according to claim 28, wherein the data transmitted to the wearer of the article of footwear includes the wearer's split time information.
 30. A data transfer system according to claim 26, wherein the first data transmission system further transmits footwear product identification data.
 31. A data transfer system according to claim 30, wherein the first remote system includes a display device for displaying information based at least in part on data transmitted by the first data transmission system.
 32. A data transfer system according to claim 31, wherein the information displayed by the display device in response to the data transmitted by the first data transmission system includes advertising or product information relating to the article of footwear.
 33. A data transfer system according to claim 26, wherein the first data transmission system further transmits data indicating athletic performance information associated with the article of footwear.
 34. A data transfer system according to claim 33, wherein the first remote system includes a display device for displaying information based at least in part on data transmitted by the first data transmission system.
 35. A data transfer system according to claim 33, wherein the information displayed by the display device includes user reward or game status information. 